Plato Shrimp » Heh

crumbsroom · 8/03/2023 11:09 pm

I don't know much about comedy on social media, but I've recently come across a guy who goes by truewagner on Instagram who I think might be a genius.

But I'm also very high, so maybe don't worry about looking that up.

Jinnistan · 8/08/2023 10:40 pm

AV Club has had a couple of listicles lately - the 30 Greatest Stand-Up Comedy Specials and the 40 Greatest Comedy Albums.

I would be remiss not to mention the obvious PC pall which hangs over the lists. Some may say for the better. For example, there simply is no way that Bill Cosby is making either one, although, I believe fairly objectively, his film Himself and LPs like Very Funny Fellow, What Is Air? and To Russell My Brother With Whom I Slept deserve to be there. It's an argument that cannot win in this environment. There are similar obvious omissions - Louis CK, Dave Chappelle, Sam Kinison, Woody Allen, Roseanne Barr, Doug Stanhope, Dennis Miller, Katt Williams - that have nothing at all to do with each of their comic qualities outside of the context of their respective controversies. And there are a few inclusions (Marc Maron, Hannah Gadsby, David Cross) which seem to be entirely due to their politics. And there are a few other omissions in the Comedy Special list - Bill Hicks, Louie Anderson, Garry Shandling, John Stewart, Colin Quinn, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Hart, Dave Atell - which are truly inexplicable. And then both lists ignore the great Gilda Live special from 1980. A big part of the problem with the lists is their adherence to limiting each comedian to one selection apiece. A true set of "greatest" comedy albums should include multiple - at least 3 by my estimate - Richard Pryor LPs alone. And there are several objectionable omissions - Moms Mabley, Firesign Theatre, Spike Jones, An Evening With Groucho. These aren't my idiosyncratic preferences, but recognized classics of the genre.

I know that they say these lists are supposed to be "argument starters", but I still think that's a convenient excuse to cover for their uniform laziness and myopia.

Jinnistan · 8/13/2023 12:37 am

Maybe this will cheer you up, crumbs. Tim Heidecker's parody of Bill Maher's Club Random. Hits all of the right notes.

Jinnistan · 8/13/2023 12:44 am

crumbsroom · 8/13/2023 6:11 pm

Jinnistan wrote:

Oh god, please more of this.

Jinnistan · 8/13/2023 8:40 pm

One of my favorite details of the Heidecker parody is that camera over the guest's right shoulder. It's awful, and only manages to cover about half of Maher's face and the wall between them. All you have to do is scoot the camera a few inches to the left to fix it. It drives me crazy. It's been that way the whole time and no one has ever done anything about it. I seriously wonder if it's an inside joke at this point among Bill's (presumably disgruntled) crew, "Just don't mention to him, I doubt he ever rewatches this shit anyway."

Jinnistan · 8/24/2023 11:34 pm

This reminds me of Stanhope's special skill to make me love him and hate him in equal measure, which should probably be the standard bar for a quality transgressive comedian.

crumbsroom · 8/25/2023 6:07 am

Jinnistan wrote:
One of my favorite details of the Heidecker parody is that camera over the guest's right shoulder. It's awful, and only manages to cover about half of Maher's face and the wall between them. All you have to do is scoot the camera a few inches to the left to fix it. It drives me crazy. It's been that way the whole time and no one has ever done anything about it. I seriously wonder if it's an inside joke at this point among Bill's (presumably disgruntled) crew, "Just don't mention to him, I doubt he ever rewatches this shit anyway."

I'm pretty sure I've heard Maher reference the fact that this is filmed with cameras he's put in the walls, so he can just shoot anytime without a crew.

Which, unfortunately, puts the words terms 'hidden cameras' and 'Bill Maher's basement' in way too close a proximity

Jinnistan · 8/30/2023 7:53 pm

Jinnistan · 9/02/2023 9:14 am

crumbsroom · 9/17/2023 5:07 am

Jinnistan · 9/27/2023 8:50 pm

Rampop II · 9/30/2023 7:43 pm

Righteous indignation electrifies the streets once again as astounding times once again befall the beleagered and resourceful citizens of Oakland. Boots Riley's new 7–part series is a gloriously worthy follow–up to his film debut, Sorry to Bother You, with everything one would hope to see in his sophomore screen creation. A rock–solid cast through–and–through breathes vibrant life into believably–written 3–dimensional characters both likable and lovable that bypass stereotype altogether. It's imaginative, satirical, surreal, poignant, political, and refreshingly original, delivered with excellent timing, permeated with style, and of course, rich with awesome music. I loved it from start to finish except for just one part of one episode, but that's only because I personally get grossed–out by "coming–of–age stories," and that part is over soon enough. The rest is full–on awesomeness. The trailer leaves a slightly false impression in my opinion, like maybe this is a little less of a grown–up production that sacrifices harsh reality in favor of lighter fare, but it's every bit as loyal to Riley's unflinching socioeconomic political revolutionary vibe as Sorry to Bother You, and arguably even more so in some respects. No punches are pulled in dissecting its subjects through a brutally–honest psychoanalytic lens. Here again we have in Walton Goggins a laughably and lethally manchildish mega–zillionaire megalomaniac who, when not trying to re–shape the world in his own image, is often seen embracing his main melanin–endowed toady in uncomfortably–prolonged lovegushing squeezes while being fully willing to abuse and dispose of him. The emergence of our idealistic 13–foot teenage lead character is not the only weirdess afoot. Love interest Flora (played by Olivia Washington and her beautiful smile) has something extraordinary going on as evidenced by her Akira sound–effect accompaniment, and Mike Epps revolutionizes the world of music with his soul–arousing rendition of "Stay Outta My Cologne!" Cover the children's eyes because there will be casualties. Also fortify your mind in advance lest you wind up frozen outside the local ER in a critical state of "existential meltdown."
After fininshing this I was inspired to go back and give Sorry to Bother You a much–warranted re–watch. Somebody explain to me again why nobody complained about that Oscar shut–out? Maybe it just didn't sanitize history enough for their taste.

Rampop highly recommends.

[edited for syntax]

Last edited by Rampop II (9/30/2023 8:45 pm)

Rampop II · 9/30/2023 7:51 pm

PS. I have to mention how much I love Riley's continued attention to minute detail, such as the little additional jokes tucked into corners and hidden in plain sight like satirical brand names on props and plot–consistent images on background tv screens, and the incorporation of socially–relevant images in frame so often omitted in contemporary screen productions like the visibility of homeless encampments adorning the backdrop as Cassius Green walks in his new suit to his new downtown corporate gig in Sorry to Bother You. It's a cinematic ecosystem reminiscent of old R. Crumb–style album covers, or to use a beloved esoteric coinage, "Firesignian."

[editied for synyax]

Last edited by Rampop II (9/30/2023 8:23 pm)

Jinnistan · 10/02/2023 12:15 pm

Good news: Stephen Colbert is back.

Bad news: So is Bill Maher.

But, typically, I saw the new Maher, and, in addition to his taint-tickling Ron Desantis, I think it's going to have to become imperative for someone (Heidecker?) to confront him on this COVID bullshit. It's nothing new, per se, but it's just the smug pseudo-certainty with which he matter-of-factly makes these assertions as if the science is settled that all of the mitigation and vaccines were unnecessary. He just says it like there's some kind of consensus that we all know now. He clearly isn't interested in having anyone on his show who will push back on this dogma, and weak-ass Sam Harris isn't going to help with his feeble little "it's complicated" attempt at protest. After three years, it's still hard to believe that someone with Maher's platform could say something as idiotic as "natural immunity is better than vaccines" and no one blinks an eye. Just ignoring all of the overcapacitated hospitals, make-shift meat-locker morgues and the phenomena of long COVID. There's a point where this becomes legitimately dangerous.

Jinnistan · 10/02/2023 12:20 pm

I also watched the Club Random episode with Julian Lennon for some reason. There are some legitimate lol moments, like when Maher goes into a rant, bragging about how great it was for him to grow up in a home with two parents. He meant it as a culture war thing. But poor Julien is just sitting there, "Hm-mm, hm-mm, hm-mm."

What an asshole.

Jinnistan · 10/20/2023 9:54 am

AppleTV cancelled Jon Stewart.

That would be bad enough, but I'm guessing Jon Stewart can find other opportunities. No, the real chill here is that, according to insiders, Stewart was cancelled, apparently just weeks before shooting, because he was intending to do in-depth episodes on both China and artificial intelligence, and Apple, heavily invested in both of those things, was reportedly uneasy about that.

Makes you wonder why hosts like John Oliver and Stephen Colbert have shied off of being critical of A.I. in their recent episodes.

Jinnistan · 12/12/2023 8:56 pm

I feel bad for casting selfish aspersions on Stephen Colbert's health problems of late, thinking that maybe he was getting lazy. After all, it's strange to hear about a 60 year old man suddenly getting appendicitis.

But, turns out, he almost died.

Jinnistan · 12/29/2023 2:41 pm

I appreciate that Ricky Gervais spends enough of the timespan of his Armageddon special complimenting, congratulating and laughing at his own jokes so that I don't have to.

4/10

crumbsroom · 12/29/2023 7:13 pm

Jinnistan wrote:
I appreciate that Ricky Gervais spends enough of the timespan of his Armageddon special complimenting, congratulating and laughing at his own jokes so that I don't have to.

4/10

I think you're being too kind by even mentioning Gervais' good time up on the stage. That was abysmal and he should have his right to laugh at his own jokes stripped from him . It's clear the guy hasn't spent a minute figuring out what a stand up actually does. He's simply content to stand around on a stage and say a bunch of obvious things that he somehow thinks are profound. I think I hate him.